10 minute one-shots
by oOTinaOo
Summary: Like the title says: various one-shots all written in ten minutes (for more details see first chapter.) The characters, moods, scenes, and settings change and aren't connected in any way. Chapter 3: prompts of 01-07.06 (with the main characters: Raskreia/Karias (1), the girls (2), Regis (3), Yuna/Shinwoo (4), M-21(5), Regis/Ikhan/Shinwoo (6), Old Lord/Ragnar/Raskreia (7)
1. 17 of May to 21 of May

Vapor (if you read Noblesse fanfictions you should know her) made a list of sentences for each day, starting on the 17th of May, in a forum. The rules are simple: In the 24 hours of that day take 10 minutes of your time and write. The sentence has to be the first one of that scene and after 10 minutes you aren't allowed to edit/rearrange/delete or add any words or sentences. Well, as I'm no native speaker, I allowed myself to exchange a vocabulary I couldn't remember in the rushed time, but except from that I decided to stick to the rules... so yeah, expect a few grammar mistakes. I apologize for that in advance!

If you want to join, PM Vapor. She's giving away her list.

* * *

**17**

**Her hands felt cold.** This discovery filled Regis with worry as he sat down next to her. His hands had brushed hers as he had given her the cup of tea just now and he couldn't keep himself from throwing a worried glance to Seira. She was starring at the light brown fluid in her cup, not really seeing it, but her fingers clutched the porcelain as if she desperately needed the warmth that radiated from the freshly brewed tea. Zarga was dead, but it didn't change the things he had said, the things she had experienced. It didn't change that he had admitted that he had killed her father. In an almost proud way, if he understood right the few words Seira told him. Regis knew that the peace after this battle was just a short respite before they would be forced to fight again. He feared Seira wouldn't be up for it, even though she was a clan leader. There was nothing he could do though and that was driving him crazy. He wished he could aid her, but once again he was left helpless, like in the battle on the school grounds a few hours ago. The world wasn't fair.

"Thank you." Regis glanced up to meet Seira's eyes. She wasn't smiling, but her eyes were warm.

**18**

**The glass shattered, casting a wave of shards across the floor. **Dumbfounded for an instance, Tao stared at a shard that had slithered to the tip of his pink slipper. He had expected something of this sorts. Still, this outbreak had surprised him. One minute they were quietly talking, the next M-21 had thrown his glass through the room with an angered shout. No, it had been more like a wail in disguise. Being betrayed by M-24, if it really was him, broke M-21's heart. Ignoring the shards in the scrupulously clean kitchen, Tao carefully stepped over to his comrade. He let himself slid down at the cupboard, leaning against it next to the hunched figure of M-21, close enough to comfort, but far enough to not oppress him. For many minutes they sat next to each other in a sea of shards, Tao in wordless vigil as his friend wept silent tears.

**19**

**"Let go!" **The scream and the violent reaction surprised Frankenstein a bit, but he easily evaded the stroke targeting his throat, knife-sharp claws dividing the air only millimeters in front of his skin. He gave the other man a few moments without bothering him, until he saw the glazed eyes clear and focusing on him. Only now, the scientist stepped closer again to the metallic stretcher the other man was laying on.

"How are you feeling?" He asked the gray haired man. "No, don't get up yet," he added as M-21 wanted to raise from the position on his back. Without any problem a hand on the younger man's shoulder kept him from moving. This time the touch didn't provoke any reaction like just a minute ago. Frankenstein didn't know what M-21 had remembered in his half-conscious state, but fully awake he knew that no harm would come to him in this laboratory.

"It only hurts slightly," M-21 mumbled, already closing his eyes again. Frankenstein felt the tense muscles under his hand relax as the younger man drifted of to a healing sleep.

**20**

**It wasn't that it was hard to say. **It was just that they didn't need to say it for they already knew. Nobody could say when they came to their silent agreement, but it was obvious for everybody that interacted with them. Every one of those three would die for the other two. They were comrades, friends. But who needed words? With words you could lie, it were actions that counted in the end. So Shinwoo's question, if they were friends or only co-workers, had left them wordless for a few moments.

"Of course friends!" Tao shouted out, being the first to get over his surprise. He swiftly walked over to the other two men at the kitchen sink and wrapped his arms around each of their shoulders, grinning brightly. "If you're our friend, you could help with doing the dishes," Takeo muttered. Tao laughed again and retreated back to the children, only to feel a sponge cloth land on his back.

**21**

**The phone rang at 2am. **At least Ikhan guessed that the little numbers on the display were telling him that. He wasn't too sure about it, seeing slightly blurry because he couldn't find his glasses. Where were they? Perhaps still on the desk next to his laptop? Another ring of the mobile in his hand brought his attention back to the call. Right, he should perhaps take it. Whoever it might be. Who would call him this time in the night? His mind still foggy from being abruptly awoken in the middle of the night, he accepted the call.

"Ikhaaaaan!" It wailed from the other side as soon as the line was free.

"Shinwoo?" Ikhan asked rhetorically, closing his eyes again and falling back into the cushions.

"Right! What took you so long? Ah, never mind, I'm playing the game we started this evening and I can't get over this last obstacle and..."

Ikhan silently listened as Shinwoo rattled on about his problem in some computer game. A part of his mind was following the talk, the other half was cursing Shinwoo with every swearword he knew for waking him in the middle of the night.

"Listen, Shinwoo. I'll take a look at it tomorrow. We can meet up at your place instead of at the chairman's? But now go to sleep. I'm coming to fetch you tomorrow morning and if you don't make it in time, you have to carry all of our backpacks for the rest of the week. And if you ever call me again in the middle of the night, I hack into your computer and uninstall all of your games. Good night!"

With this, Ikhan ended the conversation. Perhaps he should apologize for the harsh words, but he didn't like to lose his sleep.


	2. 22 of May to 30 of May

**22**

**After all this time, all these years apart, you show up here**. I was still young as you disappeared without a word. They said you had worked with the traitors, that you were not only part of them but the head behind all of this, but now you are here again. You walk into my throne room as you belonged here, as if not more than eight centuries lay between the last time you set foot here. I hate you, not for betray us, but for betraying my father's trust in you. But a part of me never could let go of the glimmer of hope that you had your reasons for joining the traitors. There has to be a reason that the Noblesse turns his back to the Lord. And that's why I face you alone, now. I told my clan leaders to stand back. Let us settle this once and for all and tell me if I am allowed to rekindle the hopes I felt over these years of if the Noblesse really abandoned his Nobles.

**23**

**He had sworn to himself that he would never do this, not again. **And now, he stood here. He was biting on his lower lip to keep himself from showing any other sign of nervousness but this really went against everything he had promised himself. M-21 let his gaze fly over the sparkling clean laboratory, so similar to the one of the Union, but his eyes always found the way back to the other man. Frankenstein had asked him to come down into the lab, not ordered his appearance here. He had asked to take a look at his body, to see how stable it was. But M-21 knew he couldn't have declined. Or could he? They had said he could leave and that he wasn't imprisoned, but he wasn't too sure if that was the truth and he knew of no way to test it without endangering his life. The life M-24 died for. M-21 tore his train of thoughts from that direction and focused back on the immediate threat. Frankenstein was holding a syringe.

"Just a simple blood-sample," he said. No order to hurry with holding out his arm and M-21 tested how long he could protract it. "It's to discern if the erythrocytes and other blood corpuscles are stable." An explanation of what he was doing? That was a first for M-21 and slowly he extended his arm. He had sworn to himself that he would never do this again. But somehow this didn't feel the same like back in his Union days.

**24**

**His aura fluctuated unevenly. **It was only marginally, but M-21 could tell, too used to how the boy's power felt to miss it. But apart from that, Regis was in perfect control of himself. He retorted to each of Rael's angry phrases with a calm and collected answer, twisting the older noble's words, and boldly using the Noblesse's backup. Tao was right as he whispered that Regis had changed. The kid was growing up. M-21 couldn't help feeling strangely proud as, after loosing the argument, Rael left the room with Rajak.  
"Thanks for defending us," Tao said as soon as the door closed behind the Kertia brothers. Regis muttered something under his breath, a faint flush adorning his cheeks.

"Yes, you did well," M-21 added. A smirk played around his lips as he mussed up Regis' hair and added: "For a kid."

Agitated half coherent sentences followed him as he too left the room. This time he felt clear spikes in Regis' aura. It was good to know that he was still the best in infuriating the kid.

**24**

**His aura fluctuated unevenly. **Tao feel the dark power washing over him in waves as he entered the laboratory. After this fight even Frankenstein shouldn't have enough strength left to do this intentionally, so it could only mean he was beyond the point of having a firm grasp on his powers. Adding the sight of blood seeping through his shirt earlier this day, Tao was surprised that Frankenstein was still able to work down here. To tell the truth, seeing even the boss being in such a state, Tao couldn't help but feel scared about what would be about to come. Soon the other Elders would come or send someone and he feared that they might be too powerful. They needed every advantage they could get. Shaking his head, he walked to the chair Frankenstein was sitting in, back to the elevator.

"Boss? I wanted to ta...," Tao stopped himself as soon as he reached Frankenstein's side. He was still in his lab coat and wore his glasses, but his eyes were closed. After taking a blanket from one of the cupboards and covering the sleeping man, Tao backed off to the elevator. Whatever he had to say could wait a bit longer.

**25**

**His eyes opened to a dismal scene, and he knew this mustn't be - this couldn't be - real. **Slowly he extended his hand, petrified that his fears would be confirmed, but still clinging to the impossible hope that he was mistaken. Wet and warm blood covered his fingertips as he reached for her throat. He let his hand rest there, holding his breath for one second, two, three. Nothing. He gasped in a choked breath. He had known it, a human girl couldn't survive this kind of injury, but still...

Carefully he stroked a few strands of her brown tresses from her face. It was pale, marred with blood and dirt. No-one would mistaken her for just being asleep. He felt tears streaming over his own cheeks as he stared down at her. She had been the first person to weep for him, now she was the first one he wept for, apart from his comrades. After laying his suit jacket over her body, he could pretend there was no gaping hole in her chest. He knew that he should stand up and tell the others, but he couldn't. He needed more time to apologize for not being there to safe her. He needed time to say goodbye.

**26**

**Surgical tools laid neatly spread across the counter top. **Each of them glittered in the harsh neon light, making the edges seem even sharper. Regis shuddered inwardly, subconsciously trying to inch away, but he couldn't. Shackles were firmly bound around his wrists and ankles, keeping him in place even as he violently tucked at them. If he had been nervous before, he now broke out in cold sweat, panic slowly gaining the upper hand about reason.

Regis couldn't properly see what happened around him from his position laying on a metal stretcher, but he heard people moving around somewhere behind him. He wanted to tell them to let him go, but he couldn't force his voice to cooperate. Helpless and weak, not able to move, not able to flee.

"Let's begin. Experiment number A0930. Test subject is a male noble, still in his teens," a voice started and a man in lab coat appeared at his side. He took one of the sharp scalpels, raising it above Regis bare chest. As it touched his skin, Regis screamed, sitting up on his bed, panting and sweating.

The next day M-21 wondered, why Regis was keeping close to his side, giving him such thoughtful glances.

**27**

**The rope twisted around his arm, drawing tighter as his weight pulled it taut. **Ikhan gritted his teeth. This would add another bruise to the ones already adorning his arms and legs. An especially vivid mark was on his right upper arm, a mix of bruises and tiny gashes.

Forcing his trembling legs to obey, Ikhan tried to stabilize himself on the swaying wooden board he was standing on, but no matter what he did, he always lost his footing again, leaving his weight on the rope around his arm. He felt someone approach from behind, though he had no opportunity to look back, still fighting with his weak legs, equilibration, and gravity.

"What are you doing? Just find your balance, it's not that hard."

Ikhan would have rolled his eyes at those mocking words, if he wouldn't have been so preoccupied. Surprisingly gentle hands pulled him up, relaxing the rope's grip around his arm, and a stabilizing hand remained on his back even after he found his footing.

"Thank you, Hyung," Ikhan said, not looking back to Tao, instead keeping his destination in sight.

"Let's get you the platform over there."

Ikhan hummed affirmatively, accepting Tao's help in moving over and through the swaying obstacles. Inwardly he wondered how the man could help him and be so sure-footed himself. Like a cat. Ikhan him self wasn't made for this kind of leisure activity. On the end of this day, he would make Shinwoo pay for every bruise he received, it had been his idea to visit a high rope course, after all.

(High rope courses (or crags?) are fun, buuuuut if you are small the ropes meant to give you some form of stabilization press and scratch against your inner, upper arms. At least in the rope course I visited last year.

I have to admit that it took me 12 minutes instead of 10... and that I have no idea how Ikhan managed to wrap a rope around his arm ^^)

**28**

**She set the box on the table without a word. **"I don't take it back," I say and try to make it sound like a declaration and not an unconfident statement.

"You're not my type. There's no need to court me."

"I know." That is hard to admit, but I haven't given up yet. "It's a present nonetheless."

She slides the box over the table closer to me. Her delicate fingers linger on the lid for a moment, before she looks up to me expectantly. Frowning, I cross my arms to show that I have no intent to reach for it.

"Then give it to one of those human girls. I don't want it back." I see surprise flash over her face for an instance. She knows that I don't like humans, they are weak and insignificant, far below being worthy of her attention. But it's still better to see one of the two girls wearing this necklace than receiving it back. I hate being rejected. Especially by her, it makes my chest tighten. With anger? With embarrassment? With pain? A mixture of all of it, I think.

"I'll keep it."

Seira's words surprise me. She didn't say that she'll wear it, but this much is enough in the moment. With a smile I whisper a "thank you" as she already has left the living room.

Let's just assume that Rael likes Seira a bit. In his weird way. Honestly, this idea surprised me O_o

**29**

**Laughter rang from behind the closed door, but now that it had faded again, it felt more like a shrill than anything gleeful in the silence of its wake. **With a sigh she looked down at the plate with cookies. This wasn't the best time to bring her daughter and her friends some sweets. They were mourning. Nobody died, but their friends were gone and nobody knew if they would ever come back to Korea. She knew how much Yuna loved her new friends and how much she missed them now.

The children had kind of adopted the silent beautiful boy named Rai and it had been almost natural to add Regis and Seira to their circle as they lived with Rai. Yuna had photographs of all of them in her room, compiled in a collage, decorated with colourful frames and ornaments. On the collage were the three security guards, too. In the middle the man her daughter had a crush on. An innocent crush that would go away over time, but it added to Yuna's misery that the three men were gone, too.

The talk behind those closed doors was forcefully light and joyous, gone was the natural lightheartedness. She would love to help those children, but she couldn't possibly bring their friends back. Again, she looked down on the plate with cookies. Perhaps it was a good moment to bring them sweets after all. It couldn't replace their friends, but it would show them that she cared.

**30**

**It was a desperate attempt. **He knew it, but he had little choice. Either run away while still could, by all means possible, or end up trapped, those two possibilities were the ones he could chose from. Quick steps, not too fast to draw no attention to himself, brought him to the door and he slipped through it out on the balcony. It was high, but not too high for him. He would survive a jump of four meters without even a scratch. Takeo gripped the banister in order to dive across it, but he was halted by a voice.

"The children saw you go out here." With a sigh Takeo turned around to face M-21, who was leaning at the wall next to the door. He hadn't even noticed his comrade, too focused on his flight. His instinct still told him to run, but M-21 was right. If he fled now, the children would wonder how he had disappeared from the balcony, too high to jump from for a normal human being. It was too late anyway, he already heard Tao approach, and inwardly he resigned to his fate.

"There you are! Come, the children want to play indian bop and you're joining us today!"

A hand clasped around his wrist and tugged him back to the door. M-21's smirk disappeared with a strangled gasp as Tao grasped the back of his shirt, almost literally dragging the gray haired man with him. Inwardly, Takeo sighed again, though it wouldn't be too bad. At least he wasn't alone.


	3. 01 of June to 07 of June

The first 7 10-shots of June. Next to come in a few days...

**1**

**"It is my burden to bear."**

"But Nunna..." A glance silenced Karias, though he possessed the impudence to pout. Raskreia turned around and shifted papers on her desk into straight stacks. Reports on Union movements, inventories of their supplies, lists of men available from the Central Order, all those information laid in front of her, waiting to be put into good use for Lukedonia's sake. And she was responsible for everything and everyone.

"You are the Lord, but you can rely on us, too," she heard Karias speak up again. Gone were the sulky undertone in his voice, also the playful one, she never could tell if he was mocking her or just being his annoying self. It was one of the rare moments she remembered why he was a clan leader, and a good one.

"I know," she simply said, giving him an appreciative look.

**2**

**Nothing could be done, not anymore.**

She had blurted out the words without really meaning to, feeling to comfortable in the presence of her two friends during their rare girl's night at Suyi's house. Yuna didn't dare to glance at the other two girls, but no surprised shout came, no uproar of disbelieve. Finally, she looked up to them, being met with calm and smiling faces.

"We knew already," Suyi said, fortified by Seira's nod. "It is obvious by how you look at him. Oh, don't make such an horrified face! The boys don't know. Men are blind, you know?"

Yuna felt her already red face heat up even more.

"But in his eyes, I'm only a child. It's only a silly crush," Yuna mumbled, drawing her knees to her chest and hugging her legs. She felt Suyi's sympathetic glance, but it was Seira that spoke up for once: "You can't change who you like."

She felt Suyi shift a bit closer and lay an arm around her shoulder. "Thank you. It's only an one-sided crush, but... I think for now, that's enough."

**3**

**The man slapped handcuffs around his wrists, tightening them until he was certain that he couldn't escape.**

He glared up at his jailor, not in the slightest impressed by his menacing behaviour.

"The chairman is now owing us an huge ransom for you. Just hope that he's paying."

Regis didn't say anything, inwardly contemplating the fact that M-21 would be laughing his head off when he heard of this. But what could he have done? This idiot of a kidnapper had decided to abduct him in the middle of the street. He hadn't had his coming of age ceremony yet, and even though he had no problem with using mind control on a small group of humans, but there had been too many. He could have missed one and could have endangered the secrecy of the nobles. So there was nothing left to do than to wait until Frankenstein paid or one of the three enhanced humans strolled in to free him. Scowling Regis leaned back at the wall, resigning to hours of wait.

**4**

**The flowers slipped through her fingers, dropping one by one.**

She didn't even notice it, until half of the fragile flowers lay at her feet. White lilies, delicate and elegant, like the person she brought them for. There was no grave she could visit, his body brought back to his home country. At least Ajussi and the Oppas had told them so before disappearing, too. Yuna stared at the desk, at the back, closest to the window. Wind blew through the open window, billowing the curtain and the petals of the flowers already laying there. Yuna pressed her eyes shut and felt her tears finally trickle down her cheeks.

"Here." She felt Shinwoo lay the lilies back into her arms. She hadn't even noticed him approach and he had to have knelt to her feet to pick those flowers up for her.

"I miss him," she whispered. Even though he hadn't talked that much, his presence was ever present. Losing it had been like a physical blow, one she would need much time to recuperate from if she could even do so at all.

"Me, too." Shinwoo didn't cry, but she knew he did in the inside. He gave her a crooked half-grin, raising his left hand, his right hand wrapping comfortingly around her shoulders.

"I brought him this. I imagined he had already enough flowers as it is."

For the first time in this week, Yuna chuckled slightly as she saw the board game in Shinwoo's hand.

**5**

**It was darker than he had expected.**

Even though he strained his eyes to see through the muddy water of this ravine, he couldn't see the bottom. The nightfall didn't help either. He took a step further down the slowly floating runlet, the mud underneath his bare feet feeling slimy and made him almost slip.

"Stop it, Ajussi. I can look for it tomorrow or buy a new one."

"At least let us help," added Ikhan to Yuna's words.

"Keep your shoes on," he ordered, glancing at Shinwoo. The irrigation ditch was rather deep and the slope was steep, the children would only end up laying in the mud. But he couldn't stop looking either. He was searching for Yuna's mobile phone that she dropped and that ended up sliding down here. Too vivid were his memories about what he himself had done with that phone; he wouldn't take the chance that someone else used it to lure the children out.

"Look more to the right," a singsonging voice chirped down to him, interrupting his further search.

"You can come down and help, if you are so good with giving directions," M-21 answered and glared up at Tao. The other man was leaning on the low railing that separated the walkway from the slope. His only answer was a chuckle. With a sigh, he glanced to Tao's side, locking eyes with Takeo. The sniper and his perfect eyes would be of more help.

"I think, I saw something break the light a step to your right."

**6**

**"This is your fault."**

"Mine?

"Yes!"

"But I didn't do anything!"

"Exactly," Shinwoo pointed out, effectively silencing Ikhan. Finally, Regis found a chance to solve the mystery about what the other boys spoke. To his question, what this was all about, he received two equally surprised looks.

"There were those two girls that asked for the way," explained Shinwoo. Regis nodded silently waiting for further explanations.

"They told Ikhan that he was adorable."

Another nod. Regis remembered that, he had seen Ikhan's blush at those words, too.

"And Ikhan didn't ask them, if they wanted to drink a cup of coffee with us."

"Why should he have done that? We are on our way to meet up with the others."

Regis was confused. He was even more befuddled as both, Ikhan and Shinwoo, threw their hands up in exasperation and stomped off in the direction of the headmaster's house.

"What did I do?" He wondered silently, hurriedly following the other boys. He would need to ask someone about it, the only question was if Frankenstein or M-21 was more appropriate.

**7**

**He couldn't do it.**

It was too early! He wasn't prepared for this! He had thought he had at least hundred more years before he had to think about it, but now there was a man in front of his door, wanting to take his adorable baby daughter out for a walk! The worst thing was that his girl wanted to go with him!

Clutching his little Raskreia to his chest, he glared over her head at the Kertia clan leader. How dare he! Ragnar was standing there, relaxed and calm, the only emotion shown was a raised eyebrow.

"Dear?" He heard his wife heave a sigh at his side. "Just let him take care of our daughter for a few hours."

"But she isn't even 20 years old! She's too young to go out with a man!"

Had the Kertia clan leader just rolled his eyes? The Lord was sure however that he heard his adorable wife chuckle.

"Ragnar is just taking her out to play as babysitter, not to elope with her."

"If it would appease you, my Lord, I can ensure you that I'm currently courting a young Lady from the Mergas clan."

It was the first time in his life, the Lord ever saw someone of the Kertia clan blush. Maybe it was safe to give his daughter to him after all?

"But make sure to bring her back before nightfall and..."

He was too absorbed into rambling off a list of things to make sure to do or to omit to do that he missed the amused glance between Ragnar and his wife.


End file.
